After four years of good and loyal service, the Z6 II is no longer the flagship body of Nikon’s mid-range 24x36mm hybrids: the Z6 III takes over. A body which is more than a simple successor, according to the Nikon teams, since it incorporates technologies from the Z8 and Z9, and even goes beyond in certain areas.
Despite a (very) interesting technical sheet, keep a cool head: the Z6 III does not have the 45 Mpx sensor of its big brothers. This very high-end component is indeed very expensive, and its Z8/Z9 DNA, the Z6 III draws mainly from two elements: its all-weather construction and its image processor, effectively recovered from its illustrious ancestors. Just like the 8-speed mechanical stabilization.
At the controls, the EXPEED 7 processor will have no trouble managing the 24 Mpx and 6K video of this new sensor (read further), which already easily manages 45 Mpx bursts and 8K video on the largest devices. In terms of construction, Nikon announces the use of the same mixture of magnesium alloy and carbon fiber. And a horde of O-rings repelling humidity and dust.
Stacked sensor… but not too much!
The Z6 III therefore does not bring a jump in definition, since the sensor remains 24 Mpx. But the latter would be of a new kind, since it would be a sort of stacked sensor… in a light version. Let us recall here that a so-called stacked sensor consists of integrating part of the circuitry not in front or on the sides of the sensor, but directly at its back, as well as additional computing power and, in many cases, RAM . A much more expensive design, but which has the advantage of offering a much higher reading speed, which improves the speed of subject acquisition as well as burst rates.
To limit costs, it seems that Nikon has only moved some of the elements under the sensor. Nikon was particularly stingy with details, only displaying a simple figure for its technology: a reading speed multiplied by x3.5 compared to the 24 Mpx CMOS sensor of the Z6 II.
Hopefully the company details its technology a bit so we can understand exactly how this sensor differs. What is certain is that the Z6 III has a mechanical shutter at 1/8000th of a second, and that it is supplemented by an electronic shutter which pushes up to 1/16,000th of a second.
The increased read speed allows this box to accelerate the burst by almost 50%. While the Z6 II offered a burst of 14 fps (with exposure and AF), this Z6 III offers a burst of 20 fps in 24 Mpx raw. It can even go faster, since you can enjoy a burst at 60 fps in jpeg and even at 120 fps in DX mode (x1.5 crop, 10 Mpx definition). In terms of high definitions, the 24 Mpx sensor will be able, like its ancestors, to create 96 Mpx images in multishot, by assembling the photos on a computer via the (free) NX Studio application (Win/Mac).
Best viewfinder in the range and cutting-edge AF
If the original Z7 and Z6 offered very smooth aiming when they were launched in 2017/2018, six years later, Nikon’s viewfinders were still behind. The Z6 III brings with it the best of the range – yes, ahead of the Z8 and Z9. Not only does its definition increase to 5.76 Mpx, but the panel is very high-end, both in terms of image quality (first viewfinder certified P3 color space), as well as brightness (up to 4000 cd/m²) or refresh rate. In fact, it is certified 120 Hz, but in addition, it never drops below 60 Hz.
The Z6 III’s viewfinder promises much better color reproduction. © Nikon
Coupled with the body’s ability to hold subjects at -10 EV, the Z6 III seems to be an excellent companion for night photography, both wildlife and reportage. This is especially true since for the first time, this Z6 line receives 3D autofocus, previously reserved for Nikon’s most high-end bodies. If initially, the tracking algorithms will only offer a generic animal mode, possible software updates could provide more specific modes, in particular bird mode. In terms of humans (eyes, head, torso) as well as vehicles (airplane cockpit, train head, cars), the Z6 III will already leave well equipped!
And while Nikon had not yet specified the exact burst depth or buffer quantity at the time of writing, French officials told us that the camera was very difficult to saturate. Thanks be given not only to the general speed of the electronics (sensor/processor pair), but also to the speed of the CF Express memory card which accompanies the second SD slot. The Z6 III therefore has serious advantages for sports photography.
Major video boost
The appearance of the first screen on a ball joint in a Nikon box puts the point straight away: the Z6 III also wants to bet big on video, an area in which Nikon is not as advanced as Sony, Panasonic or Cannon. Beyond its screen, now much more suited to video practice, the Z6 III is firing on all cylinders in the field.
With, in particular, an internal 6K60p raw mode (yes, internal), a 4K60 mode coming from a 6K capture (oversampling), a 5.4K ProRes 422 HQ mode or even 4K120p (but in DX/APS-C cropping) . The power of the electronics and the speed of the CF Express memory card therefore allow this Z6 III to do without an external recorder, which will be a real plus for many videographers. Note here that thanks to this oversized electronics – the EXPEED 7 is designed for 8K – the Z6 III is not equipped with a fan and will endure (according to Nikon) long video shooting sessions without ever letting go. To test.
Note that the Z6 III will initially only arrive in a bare case version. However, Nikon France assured us that kits would arrive in the following weeks. And if the Z6 III is the body of modernity, it does not necessarily oust the Z6 II: according to Nikon France, this second iteration remains in the catalog, without price repositioning for the moment.
Available from June 25, the Nikon Z6 III will be launched at €2,999 with bare body.